(design*sponge.guest blog) kate bezar

So often you find out about the best things in life this way – a friend recommended the quarterly “mook” (somewhere between a magazine and a book) Dumbo feather a few years ago now and now I’m recommending it to anyone who’ll listen. Each issue makes you contemplate what’s really important in your life. (Oh, and for American readers, it’s now available at Barnes and Noble– hurray!)

Why did you start Dumbo feather? I was at a point in my life where I desperately wanted and needed to read about individuals who’d found what they were passionate about in life, and how they’d gone about pursuing it. I wanted to read about the winemaker rather than the wine, the architect rather than the house, the entrepreneur rather than the business. I couldn’t find a magazine like that so decided to make it myself and, with a beautiful twist of irony, in the process of doing so, found my passion too.

Where did you find the courage? I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. I’d come to believe that failing would have been to not try, rather than to try and it not work out. I REALLY, really wanted to do something with my life that meant something and was a unique use of my particular, peculiar gifts - whatever they are! I also think it’s like when you meet the love of your life and you’re walking down the aisle towards him (or her), it’s not scary, but to anyone who has yet to meet that special person, the idea of walking down the aisle fills them with dread. It wasn’t actually scary, it just felt right.

The “mook” is beautifully presented - both from a design and photography perspective (the covers are stunning) - where did the idea behind the look of Dumbo feather come from? My brief to my designers was that I wanted Dumbo feather to be “timeless, beautiful and intimate”. One of the things that also makes it quite different is that it’s printed on 100% recycled paper… a decision that was made for ethical reasons and because Dumbo feather wasn’t about the “glossy” story but the real one so it could never be on a glossy stock. What I love is that it’s also turned out to be a great design decision; it feels amazing, stands out on the shelf because it makes photos look really rich and luscious. That reinforced for me that you should always do things for the right fundamental reasons. We find the cover images in odd places… They’re always pretty abstract but beautiful in their simplicity - and look great on a coffee table. They’re works of art in themselves and if you wonder enough you’ll always find deeper levels of meaning, often references to flight (a recurring theme).

Which magazines do you love? I’m not really a big magazine reader to be honest. Selvedge from the UK is textile-focussed and quite yummy, I read mum’s copies of Life & Leisure when I’m at home in New Zealand - it takes you inside the minds and homes of interesting kiwis, and occasionally I’ll pick up National Geographic.

How do you decide who to feature – must they meet certain criteria? Yes indeedy. Creativity (in the sense that they’ve imagined a different way of being/doing), courage (they’ve had the guts to follow through on it and to take the road-less-trampled) and integrity (they haven’t compromised the ideas or their ideals in the process). But then, even if they meet all three criteria, they still have to feel right.

Where do you look to for inspiration? The people I interview for Dumbo feather - people who live their lives with unrelenting individuality and integrity, who’ve found what they’re truly passionate about in life and have found the courage to pursue it against the odds. Doing the interviews themselves is just so inspiring, but then the people I interview often become friends and that’s even better; like Joost Bakker, Abi Crompton, Jodie Fried, Sruli Recht and Rachel Bending. I also love delicious bookshops and blogs. I always come back from trips to Melbourne re-inspired - love that city, it really does foster the individual, the unique, the creative.

What style of decorating do you love? The individual, personal and unique (those words come up for me a lot!), un-contrived, ever-evolving, comfy… I love the old apothecary/museum thing with a modern twist like Aesop stores… and when people use something quite ordinary in a new, wonderful way like this light installation made by my friend Sandra Hill (Very Tidy design) out of plastic bowls.

How would you describe your interior style? My home is a little bit eclectic (like on one wall I have painted a white branch lit by a photography studio light), but unfussy - clean space is crucial to my sanity. Most of my things have character (like an old oar that lives in one corner), pieces are worn and well-loved, with a little bit of industrial thrown in. I tried to make a vase out of test tubes once. Our home has really good bones; high ceilings, great floors and buckets of natural light - I love that.

14 comments:

You have seriously intrigued me to get my hands on a "dumb feather" copy as soon as humanly possible. I too have a need to see the story behind the design, photograph, fashion, architecture, etc... And, always in need of new inspiration. Bravo to you for your vision and making it real. I can't wait to get my hot little hands on a copy!

Thank you Kate for giving me the title of 'A Pattern Language' which I have been attempting to retrieve from my brain for a long time ... since 1990 when I had my then boyfriends copy for as long as I could ... It is a wonder.

Thanks everyone. When I first put my blog together I decided on Q&A as I wanted original content. There are so many blogs out there that just publish pictures from other blogs and I was getting bored with that format. And the Proust Questionnaire is the first thing I turn to in Vanity Fair, so...

I really enjoyed this Q&A, I managed to get a couple of copies a few months back of Dumbo feather, and loved the honest quality to it. I live in London, and thought it would be tricky, but the postman arrived sooner than I thought. Thank you for reminding me of this, I will find them and relax to quality reading.

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Since launching in 2007 Daily Imprint has featured the stories behind some of the world's leading creatives in the visual arts - from artists to photographers and designers to stylists. It became the daily ritual of magazine editors, industry leaders and decision-makers as well as purveyors of good taste. It is also a valued resource for up-and-coming creatives. The site has a strong Australian influence as many of those featured are people who the author Natalie Walton meets during the course of her work as a writer and stylist based in Sydney. For updates and extras follow Daily Imprint on Instagram @dailyimprint - click on the image for a new kind of creative journey.

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Natalie Walton writes and styles for Australian interior and lifestyle magazines. Her work has been featured in Country Style, Frankie, Harper's Bazaar, House & Garden, Inside Out, Marie Claire and Real Living, among others. In the UK, she has been published in Elle Decoration, Grazia and Living Etc. Advertising clients include Freedom, Harvey Norman, GJ Gardner and Optus. Natalie has also hosted workshops at the Apple store in Bondi and been a speaker at Studio B in the USA. Previously she was deputy editor at Real Living magazine and worked as a news journalist. During this time Natalie produced and presented daily video reports and was a regular speaker on ABC Local Radio.

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